Canadian study tracks MS patients after ‘liberation treatment’

CTVNews.ca Staff Published Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012 10:44PM EDT Last Updated Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2012 8:08AM EDT

A Canadian study that tracked 80 multiple sclerosis patients who underwent the controversial liberation treatment outside of the country suggests that about half of them saw their symptoms improve after the procedure.

Researchers in British Columbia surveyed 80 people over the phone one year after they received the controversial treatment, which involves opening up blocked veins to improve blood flow from the brain.

The picture that seems to be coming out is that about half of the patients feel some improvements in MS symptoms. The degree of improvements ranges from mild to significant, Dr. Anthony Traboulsee, medical director of the UBC Hospital MS Clinic, told CTV News.

And about half the patients feel exactly the same as before the procedure or worse.

About 11 per cent of surveyed patients reported complications around the time they received the liberation treatment. Another 13.8 per cent experienced troubles up to one month afterward.

Pain and bleeding were among the complications experienced. One patient suffered a stroke after the procedure while another one reported symptoms similar to those of a heart attack.

Nine patients had difficulties related to the procedure itself. One reported insufficient anesthetic and said they woke up near the end of the procedure.

Lori Batchelor was among those who found the treatment beneficial. She travelled to a U.S. clinic for the procedure after living with MS for over two decades. Before the treatment, she had difficulty walking and standing.

I felt very strongly that because my results were so good, I wanted it on record that this is a really important procedure to finally have some sort of treatment available for someone like me who was left to just get worse over the years with absolutely nothing available, she told CTV News.

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Canadian study tracks MS patients after ‘liberation treatment’